the order of the phoenix ;; umiko's tale
by Ysandra
Summary: Umiko is a young woman with bright possibilities. She wants to have a good future with her life. But something dark in her past won't let her.


( Author's notes beforehand: This goes for the entire story. I own Tenjou Umiko and, Ohtori Ai Ohtori Koji; they bear no relation to Shoujo Kakumei Utena, but their names simply suit the characters' pasts and destinies. Umiko's name means "Above Heaven" (for Tenjou), and "Ocean's Child" (for her birth name). "Phoenix" (Ohtori) and "Child of Time" (Koji). "Phoenix" (Ohtori) and "Love" (Ai). The setting and the characters you recognize all belong to the illustrious J.K Rowling. At the bottom I will provide translations for any Japanese phrases, etc. And my Sorting song royally sucks. My English isn't perfect (second language), but I try. Forgive me! )  
  
  
"I gotta be a sa-sa-sacrifiiice.."  
  
Tenjou Umiko had a fondness for American muggle music; why, she was unsure, as it tended to be synchronized and rather artificial. But this is what played on her small radio on the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; she sat neatly in her dark silver and blue patterned kimono with her legs crossed beneath her. She sang along in a sweet, if slightly off-key voice, wanting to get in as much music as possible, for she knew that once she arrived at the school her radio wouldn't work. The song that was playing was by the artist Tori Amos; she knew it had something to do with horses. And she did not want to take the time to do the proper spell; it required sakaki leaves, something she doubted a gaijin* school would have.  
  
She heard the sounds of children's voices; she was in the last train compartment, but apparently there were more children than she'd figured. Turning off her radio with a click, she sat up straighter and made sure her long black braid was neat, that her sleeves were perfectly arranged.  
  
The door to her compartment slid open and four children got in. She watched them mildly. Two, a boy and a girl, had bright red hair and freckles, and were both rather tall. Another girl had frizzy brown hair and was clutching several thick books. The fourth was a rather stand-offish boy, with unruly black locks and, she noticed, a lightning shaped scar peeking out from his bangs. Ah, then the two redheads would be Weasleys, Ron and Virginia, most likely. And the brunette girl Hermione Granger -- how difficult that name would be to pronounce! And the boy with ice in his green eyes.. Harry Potter.  
  
She assessed this very quickly, and then let her gaze slid out of focus until the group paid her some notice. She did not expect them to realize her presence as quickly as they did, but soon the compartment was silent as they stared at her curiously. She did not look at them.  
  
"Er - are you -" The little redhead girl was stammering, blushing, as Umiko could see, out of the corner of her eye. She blinked once to clear her vision and looked at the girl, who apparently couldn't find it in her to complete the sentance. Poor thing. Umiko had been very similar in her school days, though she didn't blush as much.  
  
"I am Professer Umiko Tenjou." She said this very clearly, if not very kindly.   
  
"Are you the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, then?" The redhead boy queried, giving her a curious look. A tiny thing like that being a teacher. She didn't look more than thirty anyway, though there were a few gray hairs in that long braid. But her face was unlined, very much porcelain.  
  
"Yes, I am. And you are?" How terrible these foreigner manners are! She thought to herself. Not introducing themselves to a lady before her. And an older one at that.  
  
"Oh!" The older girl exclaimed, "I'm sorry, how rude of us. I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and of course, Harry Potter." She said this last name with a slight grandeur, and Umiko suddenly understood that of course this boy was a celebrity here in Europe.   
  
"Pleased to meet you," Umiko said, much more pleasantly now that their names had been announced, "What year are you in?"  
  
"We're fifth years, except Ginny, she's a fourth year." Ron informed her, looking at them all.  
  
"I see." Umiko looked over at Harry, who hadn't said a word yet, her keen eyes studying him. But they all, Harry especially, noticed that she did not watch his scar; she watched his eyes.   
  
"And what about you?" She asked him, tilting her head to one side, "Even chibi-akaiko-chan*," she smiled lightly at Ginny, "Has spoken. Or are you tongue tied around a foreigner?"  
  
He looked at her curiously, and shook his head.  
  
"No, that's not it. I just don't have anything to say."  
  
"A worthy reason." Umiko declared, shifting her gaze to the ceiling. "Now, I'm going to sleep. Will you please wake me when we arrive?" Umiko had no intention of sleeping, but she wanted to hear what they'd say when they thought she was sleeping.  
  
"Of course, Professer," Hermione said with a smile, even though Umiko thought she wanted to ask her questions about the lesson plans.   
  
Umi closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, relaxing her body.  
  
A few minutes passed quietly, then they began to speak in hushed tones.  
  
"How weird is she?" Ron mused, unwrapping a chocolate frog (Umi could tell by the noise).  
  
"Pretty strange," Harry agreed, "What did she call you, Ginny?"  
  
"I have no idea," Ginny said. Umiko could practically hear her blush and tried very hard not to smile in her sleep. She'd already made Ginny a favorite, simply because the young fourth year reminded her terribly of herself. When the boy she liked had deigned to speak to her she'd turned pink and stammered out a response, although Ginny didn't seem to stammer any more.  
  
"Chibi means little," Hermione said slowly, "And Akai means red.. and ko means girl or child.. Chan is like a suffix that means 'dear.'"  
  
"How do you *know* all this?" Ron said in amazement, staring at Hermione, who merely shrugged.  
  
"Japanese isn't that hard of a language, even though I haven't completely mastered it," she said honestly, "But it's very useful. A lot of spells have a Japanese or Latin influence." A smart girl, Umiko thought to herself. Perhaps too smart for her own good sometime? We'll see.  
  
The door slid open again and Umiko could hear three people entering; one with the light tread of expensive shoes, two of heavy, strong people.   
  
"Well, look here," A sneering, cold voice said, "If it isn't Potter, the youngest Weasels, and the Mudblood."  
  
"Malfoy," Ginny said patiently, and Umiko was slightly surprised at the girl's pluck, "You see us every year. Why are you acting surprised?"  
  
"I don't know, Weasley," The voice snapped back, "Perhaps I was thinking the Dark Lord was going to finish you off like he should."  
  
"Seen the new professer yet, Malfoy?" Harry asked casually, no doubt gesturing carelessly towards Umiko, who felt this would be the appropriate time to open one eye and smile mysteriously at them.  
  
"Hello - er - *Professer*," the Malfoy boy said rather patronizingly, eyeing her kimono.  
  
"Hello. You're Lucius Malfoy's son? Draco?" She queried, studying the boy carefully (she had now opened her eyes all the way). Yes, he looked just like Lucius when he was young; skinny, tall, with rather pointed features and fair, perfectly styled hair.  
  
"Yes," Draco said, looking rather surprised, "Do you know my father?" Hermione and Ron were staring at Umiko with a rather shocked expression - did this mean she'd been a Slytherin? If only you knew, Umiko thought to herself in amusement, If only you knew.  
  
"I did, very well in fact. I'm Tenjou Umiko. My brother and your father were playmates and they always made fun of me for being shy and a good student."  
  
"I see.." Umiko could read the unspoken question in all their eyes: Death eater? She was rather annoyed that they would even think that, but then, her brother had been one. It would make sense that she, too, would be a supporter. But she wasn't.. and she knew that now, in these times, it was hard to tell who was on your side and who wasn't.  
  
She smiled at them as the train pulled to a halt.  
  
***  
  
As Umiko popped into Hogwarts (taking the fireplace at Rubeus Hagrid's cabin; the door was open and she hadn't wanted to walk), she was immediately accosted by her old Transfiguration teacher. She looked at the woman, slightly bewildered. Professer McGonagall looked exactly the same. How odd. She suppressed a smile as the rather frantic woman darted over.  
  
"Umiko! There you are! Have you just arrived?"  
  
"Un*, Professer," Umiko said with a smile, retaining McGonagall's title. She didn't feel she was a proper professer yet, but apparently McGonagall didn't feel the same way.  
  
"Call me Minerva, dear; you're one of us now," the woman said distractedly. Umiko found this quite funny and quite unlike McGonagall - no, Minerva, she told herself.  
  
"Very well," Umiko said brightly, "Is there anything I should know about?"  
  
"No, no, not at all," Minerva muttered, "Except have you met the other new professer?"  
  
"Other.. new.. professer?" Umiko slowly let her smile fade and a look of serious curiousity replace it. "No, Professer, I haven't. Who are they and what are they teaching?"  
  
"I don't know!" Minerva yelled, rather upset, "That's the problem! Albus didn't tell me his name!" She took a moment to calm herself down, adjusting her spectacles. A deep breath, and she began again.  
  
"He's filling in for Hagrid, just for a term. All I know is that he was in Gryffindor while he was here," the older woman said with a sigh, "And that it's a rather young man." Minerva looked at her quizzically, and rather sternly, over the edge of her glasses.  
  
"You don't happen to know who it is, do you?"  
  
"No," Umiko shook her head, "It's a mystery to me." And indeed it was. But she was looking forward to finding out.  
  
"Well," Minerva said with a sigh, watching as some carriages rolled up, "You may as well put your luggage in your room and go in to wait for the Sorting and the feast."  
  
"Yes, Minerva," Umiko said pleasantly, "Only I haven't got any idea where my room *is.*"  
  
"Remember the portrait of the Dancing Girl?" Minerva gave her a sideways glance, and Umiko felt herself flushing lightly. Yes, she remembered! She remembered, very well, thank you, Professer McGonagall - and you took forty points off Slytherin when you found me trying to get through. I was a first year! And the little girl invited me inside!  
  
But she said nothing except to thank Minerva, and then she headed upstairs, carefully avoiding a missing stair and Peeves, who swooped by shrieking that the midget queen had returned. Of course, she wasn't a midget; she was five feet tall, thank you, several inches above midget status.  
  
She eyed the Little Girl; dressed in a pink tutu, with a cherublike face and golden curls, she was very inviting and sweet. She waved happily at Umiko, who put a hand on the painting, where the little girl's stomach was. She knew how to open this; she had since her first year.   
  
The painting swung open, she threw her stuff inside unceremoniously, shut the painting, and went back downstairs.  
  
This time she nearly got caught in the staircase.  
  
***  
  
Umiko was practically squirming with excitement. She took her seat between Minerva and one Severus Snape; she didn't know he had become a teacher. She had been four years behind him at Hogwarts, they had gotten on fairly well but apparently he didn't like her so much anymore. He was glaring at her. She smiled at him and watched as scads and scads of students came into the Hall; short ones, tall ones, skinny ones, plump ones, sad ones, sullen ones, happy ones, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins..  
  
She sighed happily, resting her elbows on the table and cupping her face in her palms, watching them. A few of them smiled slightly at her as they passed, a grin which she returned quite brightly.  
  
Then, the Sorting. The hat was in its place; it began its song.  
  
"I am a very ugly Hat  
But I am smarter than just that  
I see into your heads  
Find every knot, every thread  
All your grey matter belongs to me  
Try me on, I'll have a looksee  
Whether you be Gryffindor  
Where Bravery is valued best  
Or Ravenclaw  
Where their brains are never at rest  
Or Hufflepuff  
Where loyalty wins over all  
Or Slytherin  
Where your cunning skills cause others' downfall.  
Let's look, let's peek  
I'll find you the place you seek!"  
  
There was silence as all the students regarded the hat curiously. A mad Hat. That was all they had to do, try on a mad, singing, filthy Hat? Not too difficult, they thought.  
  
Umiko pressed her fingers over her mouth, keeping herself from giggling. Oh, she remembered all this, very well.  
  
Minerva walked out to call the names.  
  
"Appleby, Jordy!"   
  
A brazen-looking little brunette girl, hair in pigtails.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Appleby, Rebeckah!"  
  
The same little girl? This time with her hair loose and short bangs, dressed more fashionably and less brazen-looking.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
They skipped over to the table amid cheers, grinning maniacally. Those two will be trouble, Umiko thought happily, I can't wait.  
  
"Bates, Locke!"  
  
A scowling, heavyset boy. The hat sat on him for a long while.  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Barton, Lisa!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Daniels, Jack!" ( Everyone, at least, everyone who knew of the drink, snickered very hard at this. )  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Feathersnip, Yvette!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Grand, Paul!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"McDonald, Adam!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Pilanov, Aggie!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Jackson, Dove!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
On and on it went, Umiko paying very close attention in case she heard a name she recognized. A few of them, Bates and Feathersnip mostly, were familiar but the others seemed alien. Perhaps they were muggle-born, perhaps she didn't know them, or perhaps she had forgotten. That idea bothered her a little.. she knew it had been a long time since Hogwarts, but surely.. Ah, yes, the Jackson family. She pulled herself from her mind, as the last two names were called.  
  
"O'Connell, Adam!" A lanky red-haired boy stumbled forwards.  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Ohtori, Ai!" A young half-Japanese girl. Umiko's head snapped up and she stared at the girl. Koji's child. Yes.. how darling the girl was. Umiko knew she must be only ten; but Koji would start her early, wanting her to be a Head like himself.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Umiko relaxed slightly. Good, the girl was in her father's house. How was Koji doing, she wondered, had he remarried? Did he remember her? Did he.. No, no use drudging up the past, Umiko, she scolded herself. Still, she thought a little sadly, She should have been my child.  
  
And it was then that Albus Dumbledore himself drew to a stand, smiling his benevolent, twinkling smile. As always, Umiko felt slightly more peaceful, inside, and couldn't help but return the grin, though her own dark brown eyes could never hold such merriment. She was a restless, roving young woman, but mostly unemotional. And rather oddly natured, as her students would learn.  
  
"Greetings, students new and old," said Albus Dumbledore, looking over them all. "It would do good to remind you all that first years cannot have their own broomsticks, nor can any students enter the forbidden forest. If you wish to retain all your limbs, I suggest you stay far, far away from Greenhouse Four."  
  
"Now," he said jovially, "We have two new teachers..! One will be filling in for Rubeus Hagrid as gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher for one term, as Hagrid is on personal leave. You will discover his name when he arrives."  
  
Umiko saw Harry Potter and Ron Weasley exchange worried looks. The rest of the students whispered to themselves about the mysterious circumstances in which they were getting a new teacher.  
  
"Secondly, we have Umiko Tenjou, teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." All the heads in the room turned towards her, and Umi could feel a light pinkness creep into her cheeks. She willed herself to ignore it and smiled at them all. A few Slytherins looked about to snigger, but Draco Malfoy elbowed them both sharply, hissing something - no doubt about her being an ex-Slytherin.  
  
"Commence with your digestive process!" Dumbledore said gaily, thwapping his podium once with his wand. Food appeared on all their plates; the first-years gasped. Umiko smiled and reached across the table for the miso soup. Dumbledore always knew what would appeal to her. She figured he'd probably asked the House Elves to make it for her.  
  
She ate hastily, anxious to leave and find out from Minerva when her shift was to roam the halls, looking for students skipping class or sneaking out at night or whatnot. She didn't particularly look forward to that ordeal but she supposed it couldn't be avoided.. She knew about it from her days as a student.  
  
So, she moved past Minerva, leaning down to whisper softly to her.  
  
"Minerva, when's my shift?"  
  
"Tomorrow," Minerva informed her, "During the morning half."  
  
"Thanks," she muttered, tapping the back of Minerva's chair and moving out of the hall.  
  
Umiko was tired. She'd seen her old lover's child, seen the Boy Who Lived and all his friends, seen her old school and a few companions, been glared at ferociously by Severus Snape, smiled at by Dumbledore - oh! Dumbledore would be calling her into his office for a staff meeting soon, most likely, to see how she was adjusting. Ah, this would be so different life as a teacher.. She only hoped she was up to it.  
  
She climbed the stairs to her room, tickled the Dancing Little Girl, shoved the portrait closed, undressed, and fell into bed with one last thought in her head before sleep hit her like a sack of bricks.  
  
Ah.. Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
( *Gaijin = foreigner. Jingai is another word for it, but it's much more slangy and I doubt anyone who's not a native Japanese person would know it, unless they're me. And now you lot, because you've read this..   
Chibi-akai-chan = Loosely, dear little red girl, referring to Ginny's perma-blush when around Harry  
Un = Yes. "Hai" is also yes, but Un can be used with people you consider friends.  
Miso soup = Vegetable soup ) 


End file.
